Wastelander Panda aims for best web series gong at SA Screen Awards

As the reach of the internet grows, the work of new filmmakers is winning greater recognition.

A category for best web series has been added to this year's South Australian Screen Awards, recognising the net's ability to attract a worldwide audience for a budget film.

In underground rooms of a vacant Port Adelaide hotel, a cult web series called Wastelander Panda is being shot.

The story of a mutant panda in a post-apocalyptic world first went online two years ago and had more than 100,000 views in 150 countries within three days.

Series producer Kirsty Stark says it is easier than ever to attract global interest.

"Most of our fan base is online and I think without the internet this project never would have got off the ground because we were able to harness a huge group of fans from all around the world," she said.

Panda series gains federal funding

The project now has been picked up and given federal funding for a six-part online series, so all the cast and crew now can be paid.

Wastelander Panda's success reflects how the internet is proving to be an important training ground for the next generation of film producers, says Gail Kovatseff of the South Australian Screen Awards.

"It's a really critical place for emerging filmmakers to build an audience base and I think some of South Australian practitioners have done that really well. Wastelander Panda is probably the most successful of that," she said.

At this year's Screen Awards, the glamour category is best feature and among the nominees is 52 Tuesdays, a film that has just opened in Australia and is attracting overseas interest as well.

It was a winner at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

The producer of 52 Tuesdays, Sophie Hyde, says SA's film industry is thriving.

"There's so many creative people here, so many people doing really great things and I think we've been really overlooked in the national industry until recently, just recently loads of films have been getting great recognition," she said.